In some ways that fight gave me more respect around the world and helped me be even more popular because so many people felt my pain and saw that I was robbed. – Marvin Hagler
Sitting here now today, I can forgive a lot of the English people because it only takes a hand full of bad people to do something stupid like that and it can make the whole country look bad. – Marvin Hagler
The likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns were true champions. There were some incredible fights between us, and I was happy to give them all an opportunity to fight me. – Marvin Hagler
Some fighters know when to stop on their own and go on to something else, and then some fighters have nothing to go back to after they are finished. Some fighters still have the burning fire and feel that they just need to try one more time. Few can do it. – Marvin Hagler
For me, I believe George Foreman was a bad example because when he became world heavyweight champion again at 42, that made a lot of fighters think they could also carry on. – Marvin Hagler
Even though the outcome wasn’t the way it should have been, publicly I still feel in my heart I won the Sugar Ray Leonard fight. – Marvin Hagler
When you knock people out, it’s sometimes a very scary situation – but I always hoped that no one got seriously hurt. Now when I see them get knocked out, I laugh. When you finish the game, it’s funny. And when I look at film of myself, I think, ‘I wouldn’t fight that guy.’ – Marvin Hagler
You know looking back on it now I used the fight and after the fight as motivation, to make sure I was going to be the best middleweight in the world for a long time. – Marvin Hagler
Sugar Ray wouldn’t give me a rematch, and that’s the reason I walked away from boxing. – Marvin Hagler
There are a lot of things and in order to be at the top and maintain your focus you have to have something that motivates you. For me, it was what I perceived as a lack of respect from the boxing world as well as the media, which made me want to work so hard and be great. – Marvin Hagler
I started out doing commercials, like Diet Coke and Pizza Hut. And I started to find there was a different life for me, in a different field. From there, I got a call from a director in Italy, and we did ‘Indio’ I and II, and that’s where it started. – Marvin Hagler
Well, you can’t trust most people in this game, period; it can be a very shady business. – Marvin Hagler
Oh yeah, I mean every fighter has got be dedicated, learn how to sacrifice, know what the devotion is all about, make sure you’re paying attention and studying your art. – Marvin Hagler
I tried my best to ensure I kept the respect for the middleweight division in the tradition of Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake La Motta. – Marvin Hagler
I know that when a fighter is out of the ring for more than two years, when he comes back he isn’t the same anymore. Each fighter is different. But each must think, even if something goes wrong, ‘I have to make this decision and live with it for the rest of my life.’ – Marvin Hagler
The situation right after the fight wasn’t too good; I believe I’m still the only champion in the world who never received the belt inside the ring once you’ve won the title. I held that against the English fans for a long time but I felt that also motivated me. – Marvin Hagler
You know, I think I had a great career; there’s not much I think I’d do different other than get a title shot much earlier. I didn’t get one till 49 or 50 fights into my career. – Marvin Hagler
